MODALITIES OF VALORISATION AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH ICT: ADDING NEW MILESTONES TO THE “STANDARD” PRACTICE

Abstract

Nowadays, in the academic field, it is growing the demand for digital competencies bounded to advanced communication strategies. More and more national and international project required to the scientific community to be increasingly open to new targets of public, even not expert one. The focus point is that the research must be accessed not only by professionals, but it has to engage a broader public, starting from local communities to the public of the web. This statement is testified by the European funds calls that ask for communication activities and strategies, along with dissemination and exploitation. Why these three activities are so important? Because they are strictly related to the impact that a project can have, not only for the academic world, but also for the outside. This trend is growing fast in each scientific field: also in Cultural Heritage conservation, where it is more and more common the uses of 3D digital models not only for maintenance purposes, but also as a bridge between the heritage and non-expert publics. The question is how advanced digital techniques can help the process of valorisation of Cultural Heritage at different stages? The article wants to look for a standard practice to promote and enhance Cultural Heritage using digital technologies. Through the analysis of a series of case studies, it wants to show how to build a valorisation strategy, considering all the components of CH, and how it can be implemented adding new disciplines and skills (communication and promotion), enhancing users’ access and interaction.